The awesome International Music festival “98Fest” In SZ

September 1002:302019

A SPELL of hot weather over the past weekend didn’t keep Shenzheners indoors. Instead, they swarmed to a citywide outdoor music festival which was held from Friday to yesterday, bringing pop, hip-hop, rock, ballad, jazz and electronic music and traditional Chinese opera performances.

The 98 International Music and Art Festival (98 refers to Sept. 8), supported by the Futian District Government, organized vibrant music shows featuring domestic and international musicians at Huaqiangbei, Nantou Old City and InJoy shopping areas, as well as 15 subvenues around the city including Dongmen, Coco Park, MH Mall and Sea World over the weekend.

Two young Chinese bands, Wonder Four and BongBong Band, opened the festival Friday afternoon at Huaqiang Square, with their hot dances and passionate songs, attracting both diehard fans and passers-by. “The annual festival reflects Futian’s image as a central urban district with a strong orientation toward culture. Now in its fourth year, we hope that in the next a few years, the festival can reach the Greater Bay Area and even other Asian countries,” said Dong Shan, Party chief and director of the Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Futian District, and deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Futian District Committee of the CPC.

A recent report on nighttime consumption released by a well-known consulting company shows Shenzhen ranks No. 2 in the nightlife index, following Shanghai. The report describes nightlife as part of the nighttime economy. It refers to a wide range of consumption experiences in the categories of leisure, live entertainment and cultural activities that take place between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

“The 98 International Music and Art Festival tries to offer diverse entertaining shows and discounts in dining to stimulate Shenzhen’s nighttime economy,” said Xu Xiaoying, executive director of Alliance Art Group who is in charge of the festival’s organizing committee.

Starting Sept. 1 and ending tomorrow, thousands of restaurants and bars in Shenzhen are also offering discounts, they release promotional information through the international music festival platform.